1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to the field of paper cup rim unrolling devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is very common for entities to offer promotions. Marketing of consumer products such as foods, beverages, household products and the like is highly competitive. Various methods exist for advertising and promoting the sale of such products and oftentimes related products. Many such products are sold in containers having rolled rims, such as paper cups used in serving hot or cold beverages, hot or cold food products (e.g., soups, popcorn, prepared foods, yogurt, ice cream), and other food products (e.g., cups served with assorted snacks, nuts). Further, such containers are used in other products, such as various craft materials and construction materials, such as various powders and the like.
One example of the application of promotional and/or contest materials under the rim of a container is the “Roll up the Rim to Win®” contest offered by Tim Hortons, Inc. (Oakville, ON, Canada). In the contest, customers may receive and roll up the rim on specially marked Tim Hortons hot drink take-out contest cups. Revealed inside the rim will be a “Win” or “Play Again” message. A “Win” message will describe the specific prize available to be won.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,639 shows a cup formed with a perforated notch on the body of the cup intended to be pulled upwards in order to reveal the code or message under the rim. However, this adds additional inconvenience in manufacturing the cup as compared to being able to offer a product where a code, message or other information is presented under the rolled rim, which may be conveniently printed during manufacture.
Canadian Patent Application Number CA 2372845, now abandoned, discloses a device for unrolling a rolled rim of a cup including a U shaped structure having blade members positioned at a base of the U shape. In use, one must push the device virtually to the full depth of the U shape in order to make a pair of cuts along a circumferential length of the outwardly projecting rim of the cup. Further, the user must take great care in removing the device to ensure that the rim is appropriately positioned relative to the unrolling member of the device so that it is pulled open. In addition, this design may tend only to provide notches at the edges of the region of the rim to be rolled, whereby the individual must complete unrolling by hand.
Therefore, a need remains for an apparatus that allows one to conveniently cut and unroll a portion of a rim of a paper cup.